"The lion sword, the dedicated spear, she who sees beyond. Three on the boat, and he who is dead yet lives. The great battle done, but the world not done with battle. The land divided by the return, and the guardians balance the servants. The future teeters on the edge of a blade."

Lord of Chaos, Dreams and Nightmares



As far as I can make out, most people think this means that Rand will die either while fighting the Dark One or some time before the Last Battle (the great battle being the resolution the Black Tower plot line, either with Taim luring Asha'Man back by torturing their bonded family and thus start to fulfil Elaida's prophecy of the place being "rent in fire and blood" or by attacking Caemlyn)


Consider this prophecy, however:

“He is born again!” Gitara cried. “I feel him! The Dragon takes his first breath on the slope of Dragonmount! He is coming! He is coming! Light help us! He lies in the snow and cries like the thunder! He burns like the sun!”

New Spring, A Wish Fulfilled

This prophecy describes something that (as far as I can see) either has ALREADY happened, or something that is happening RIGHT NOW.


I therefore propose the possibility that Nicola's prophecy is just a giant red herring. The only problem I can see with this is what "the great battle" is. It could be the battle in Cairhien, though that battle does admittedly not seem THAT important in the grand scheme of things. There's also the problems of the "the Guardians balance the Servants" line, because that has not exactly happened yet, though Taim and Rand had already discussed it, I think.


As for the Return, the Seanchan had already conquered Tanchico (and most likely the majority of Tarabon) at the time. Pedron Niall's POV (the letters he disregarded from his spy in Tanchico) confirms this.


Thoughts?

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